Oath of the Survivor

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hello everybody, and welcome back!  I appreciate your patience as we went through the summer, and hope you're all doing well.

I've taken the time this summer to reflect on the direction of the story, and also to reflect on the areas my writing needs to grow to make it as good as I can.  To that end, I've also taken steps to work on some other exercises to improve the quality of my writing, in the hope that as Kyle and C.H.A.D.D. keep progressing, the writing will as well.  

What that means for you:  For a while, I'll be on a weekly schedule.  Demands at work have only gotten more rigorous, and that means less time at home for the story.  It's not ideal, but that's the most sustainable path forward, at least for the time being.  If/when that changes, I'll update with more frequency.

As I continue to target specific areas of writing to improve, you may also see a reemergence of different side stories and projects, that won't interrupt the cadence of Oath of the Survivor.  Some of these may add flavor and color to the universe here, others may be their own thing.  It all points back to the goal of focusing on quality and making this story the best it can be.

Thank you all again for your support thus far, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

~~~

[YOU SHOULD PROBABLY DODGE, DR. MAYHEW.]

Kyle could barely hear the drone’s words over the roaring gunfire.  Small arms fire peppered his back, feeling more like heavy raindrops against his Enhanced Carapace and Ferric Augmentation when it wasn’t stopped by his armor.  Synaptic Barbs confirmed C.H.A.D.D.’s warning a moment later as he felt the telltale disruption in the air a few meters behind him, a surefire indication that there was another approaching missile.

“Is the package secure?”  Kyle asked, dropping flat to the ground at the last possible second as the missile flew harmlessly overhead. 

[QUITE, DR. MAYHEW.]

Kyle sprang to his feet, pulling out a forcehammer baton with his right hand as the guided munition turned to correct its course.

With a smoothness provided by months of dedicated training, Kyle channeled his mana through the weapon as he swung.  A wide shockwave of energy rolled out from the baton, catching the missile in mid-flight.  It wobbled in the air before crashing into a nearby tree, exploding on impact.

A floating blue projection came up from his nav bracelet, confirming he was making the right call. 

Mayhew,

You’re 10 kilometers away from the drop point.  As soon as the clients have the Echo Heart, your part is done.  I confirmed they have a team ready and waiting.  Don’t die.

-Suierrillax

Beneath the text, a rudimentary map showed his progress toward the destination.  Kyle didn’t pay it much heed, being far more interested in C.H.A.D.D.’s map.  In addition to the destination, C.H.A.D.D.’s included the nearly 30 unmanned drones streaking through the sky after them.  Kyle felt surprised at how well they kept up, given that he was using Ignition to get out of the danger zone as quickly as he could.

The job was supposed to be a simple one, with Kyle picking up an experimental component called an Echo Heart from a hidden lab, then delivering it to the company that commissioned it.  When Kyle arrived at the lab, he saw it besieged by a literal army of mechs.  Many were the fast-flying types that now pursued Kyle and C.H.A.D.D., others were bipedal with heavier armaments. 

The lab was holding on admirably, layering a variety of barriers and retaliating with electromagnetic pulses to interfere with the attacking drones.  Instead of joining the fight, Kyle made his way to the back entrance of the lab, picked up the Echo Heart, and left.  He hoped that the attack wasn’t related to his job, but he had no such luck.

Instead, swarms of the attacking drones peeled off from their assault to pursue Kyle and C.H.A.D.D.  The Echo Heart gave off powerful pulses of energy, which Kyle assumed his assailants used to track them.  Now, with only 10 kilometers between them and their destination, he felt confident in completing the job.  The larger assault mechs were left in the dust, and the small drones offered only a limited threat.

Comfortable with their progress, Kyle called to C.H.A.D.D. over the din of gunfire.

“C.H.A.D.D., have you been able to analyze the Echo Heart?”

[ONLY IN A LIMITED CAPACITY, DR. MAYHEW.  THE INSCRIPTION WORK IS QUITE INTERESTING; HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THE PRINCIPLES AT PLAY WOULD BE OF LIMITED USE.]

Kyle frowned at his companion’s words.  “Why is that?”

[THE ALLOYS USED IN THE CENTRAL CORE OF THE ECHO HEART SEEM ESSENTIAL TO THE INSCRIPTION WORK.  WHILE IT IS LIKELY TO SERVE AS AN EFFECTIVE BATTERY AND AMPLIFIER FOR CERTAIN TYPES OF MANA, IT IS UNLIKELY TO MESH WELL WITH THE ENERGIES PRESENT IN THE WORLD TREE SEED.  FURTHERMORE, I BELIEVE THAT THE AMPLIFICATION COULD BE ACTIVELY DISRUPTIVE IF USED IMPROPERLY.]

Kyle nodded, considering C.H.A.D.D.’s analysis.  Ever since their meeting with Jarberry about getting a second class at C Grade, he and C.H.A.D.D. had been hard at work trying to determine their next steps.  If D Grade was all about building a foundation for one’s path, C Grade was about folding in outside elements to strengthen and broaden it. 

For Kyle, the idea itself was fairly simple.  His path was tied to the concept of survival and overcoming adversity.  Despite the practical difficulty it provided, the conceptual basis was wide enough to allow for most second classes to weave in.  The main obstacle to overcome would be encountering enough challenging environments to push himself, no matter what class he chose.

C.H.A.D.D., by contrast, had an incredibly complex method of progression.  Only having gained the Administrator Weevil class by absorbing an essence back on Earth, the class itself heavily relied on engaging with plant-based natural treasures.  In fact, with the exception of its sonic attack, all of C.H.A.D.D.’s skills were solely reliant on the manipulation and direction of the energies inside these treasures.

The other applications available to the drone were simple functions of its original hardware and software.  Sure, there had been some creative liberties taken to use them in their current capacity, but ultimately C.H.A.D.D. used the tools at its disposal.   This was the crux of the problem.

At the end of the day, there was no precedent that Kyle could find for AIs to have a class, much less 2.  In fact, most mechanical creations had no ability to progress at all, outside of an external party giving them direct upgrades to their hardware or software.  For most, they would simply exist at the level of power at which they were created.

Colloquially, even though creations of talented Mechanists may be called D or C Grade, it was nothing more than a simple expression of the power level they could exhibit.  The fact that C.H.A.D.D. had a class and levels flew in the face of this reality, and provided them the conundrum they now found.  For Kyle to give C.H.A.D.D. the best possibilities of crossing into C Grade or beyond, he’d need to find high-level schematics for the drone’s next round of upgrades. 

While he held out a lot of hope for the upcoming meeting with C.H.A.D.D.’s original designer, Marcus Kulhavey, Kyle had also specifically focused on taking delivery jobs for highly specialized mechanical components like the Echo Heart.  Each job required he sign binding non-disclosure agreements, but he hoped that C.H.A.D.D.’s scans of the products could help illuminate their path forward.

His thought process stopped as a warning flashed across C.H.A.D.D.’s map.  Auric Perception alerted Kyle to mana condensing in front of them, and he instinctively pushed mana into the gauntlet on his left arm, a circular shield of mana emerging from his forearm.

A javelin of lightning split the air a moment later, and Kyle was ready.  Only slowing half a step, he angled the buckler towards the oncoming projectile.  With a practiced flick of his wrist, the blast of energy was redirected slightly as it glanced off the shield, exploding against the trees behind Kyle. 

He felt a searing pain in his wrist and left arm from deflecting the blow, and channeled Healing Impetus into it, immediately feeling the relief wash through him.  Adaptive Regeneration took over from there, greedily making use of the latent healing energy left behind in his cells as all trace of damage from the attack faded in seconds.

Kyle looked ahead as he felt the mana condensing again, barely making out the shape of a humanoid mech in the forest ahead.  Its shape seemed to blur at the edges, and as he drew closer Kyle realized that it was using some type of cloaking field, disrupted by the crackling blue energy gathering in the weapon it was leveling at Kyle and C.H.A.D.D.

[YOU MAY WANT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT, DR. MAYHEW.]

“On it, C.H.A.D.D.” Kyle replied, feeling the electric mana climbing to fever pitch.  Pushing more power into Ignition, Kyle got within 3 meters of the mech, staring directly into the muzzle of the gun as he came in low.  At the last possible moment, he swung the forcehammer baton in his right hand in a vertical arc, starting from his left hip.  A shockwave of kinetic force released like a bubble below the gun, knocking it upward and off target the moment it fired. 

Kyle grabbed the second baton with his left hand, and began to viciously pummel the mech.  It was roughly human-sized, with the lightning cannon in place of its right arm and treads on 4 legs to allow it free movement through the difficult terrain.  Mottled grey and brown metal began to vanish beneath the cloaking field, but Kyle wasn’t planning to give it an opportunity to escape. 

Rather than simply releasing large blasts of force with his batons, Kyle focused the mana at the tips of each.  Using tendrils of Parasitic Resonance, he focused on shaping smaller, focused bursts of energy.  Though he hadn’t perfected it, the results were still more than enough.  Over a dozen strikes rang out in the span of a second, each leaving deep craters in the metal shielding. 

Kyle continued his relentless assault, driving the mech backward with his forward momentum.  The first component to break off fully was the cannon, followed by 3 of its legs.  As soon as it fell to the ground, Kyle dashed past it.  A quick glance at C.H.A.D.D.’s map showed the lead he’d gotten on the pursuing drones had been lost during his skirmish. 

“How much farther, C.H.A.D.D.?” Kyle asked, the air once again filled with the high-pitched whine of bullets.

[APPROXIMATELY 1 KILOMETER, DR. MAYHEW.  THERE IS A RATHER LARGE ARMORED VEHICLE WAITING AT THE DROP POINT, I WOULD IMAGINE THAT IS YOUR DESTINATION.]

“Sounds like it,” Kyle agreed, vaulting over a fallen tree as he continued his escape.  While he was interested to learn more about the circumstances surrounding this delivery, he just wanted to get the job done at this point.  With the Echo Heart being a bit of a dead end, he looked forward to heading home and meeting with Jarberry.  The imp kept busy, and Kyle did his best to get on his calendar whenever the opportunity came up.

Breaking through the tree cover, Kyle saw the panicked expression of a handful of E Grade guards surrounding the transport.  With a minor push of mana, Kyle broadcast his credentials as a Courier though his nav bracelet, slowing to a halt as he approached the woman in charge.  Crimson energy dispersed as he deactivated Ignition, and he raised his hand in greeting.

“Courier Kyle Mayhew, reporting.”  Kyle’s voice was calm as he unslung the C.H.A.D.D.pack, reaching inside to grab the package containing the Echo Heart.  “This is the delivery, as agreed.  Good luck.”

The woman took the package, eyes widening as she saw the drones breaking out of the forest behind him.  “How…  How did you…”  She seemed lost for words for a moment, flinching as the gunfire exploded at their position, only to be stopped by Storm Shelter as it sprang to life around them.  Finally, she found her voice.  “Can you help us make our exit?”

Kyle met her eyes.  “I was contracted to make a field delivery, not make enemies with whoever else is fighting for this item.”

“Please,” she said, once again looking past Kyle at the swarm of drones.  “We won’t make it back to headquarters at this rate.”

“How much are you willing to pay?”  Kyle asked.  The last months had taught him that, despite spending absurd amounts of credits on development, many companies tightened the proverbial purse strings when it came to deliveries like these.  Instead of paying Kyle to deliver directly to a headquarters, it was common to have Couriers make field deliveries, where company staff would finish the job at much lower cost.

Situations like the one they currently faced were perfect examples of how those plans could backfire.  Jarberry warned Kyle not to get taken advantage of, and he’d taken the advice to heart.  He saw the woman glance down at a screen that popped up from her own nav bracelet, then look back at Kyle.  “I’m authorized to offer 25,000 credits to deal with the drones.”

“Make it 60,000 credits and we have a deal.” Kyle replied.  With at least 20 of the drones visible on C.H.A.D.D.’s map when he’d checked last, he didn’t intend to stay involved for less. 

“Fine!”  She screamed.  “Just take care of them!” 

The pursuing drones had fanned out at this point, concentrating fire directly on Kyle’s location.  The bullets may as well have been a gentle breeze for all they did against Storm Shelter, and he casually drafted the invoice on his own nav bracelet before sending it off to Suierrillax.

Once he’d confirmed it was sent, Kyle looked back at the attacking drones.  Taking a forcehammer baton in each hand, he took his fighting stance as Ignition bloomed to life in his chest.  He took a deep breath as he focused.  “You’re going to want to get down.  This will be over shortly.”